so how do you get to fly offshore?

[iorgasilviubogdan]

Title sais everything.
Every company wants only experienced pilots with previous offshore time. How can you get that offshore time?
Thank you!

[The Governor]

Where are you looking? Which country? Which operators? Why would you want to?

If you must the only way is to be on the top of the CV pile after the offshore experienced, multi-crew, twin engine, instrument rated pilots have been hired. You need to get in touch with as many of the relevant people as possible (HR Manager, Chief Pilot, Flight Ops Manager, Flight Crew Manager) at the companies you want to work for on a regular basis.

Preferably you will have taken the time to meet some of them and asked for someone to show you round. That might allow you to meet the pilots there and then you can ask them about working conditions and establish those all important contacts.

You need as many people on the inside letting you know when and where vacancies might arise. It's all about networking I believe and who you know can be very important when it comes to upcoming positions.

You need to be improving you qualifications and experience whilst you're waiting for an opportunity to present itself. This allows you to resubmit your CV every few months as you are updating their records for them.

That's what I would do. But I'm on the inside looking out.

[iorgasilviubogdan]

I've been applying everywhere for the past few months, but the main problem is that I have no offshore time. I have mult engine, IR, but that seems not to be enough.
I'll keep looking, and maybe I'll meet someone on the inside.
Cheers!

[Cpt_Pugwash]

"so how do you get to fly offshore?"

Just keep going when the land stops .....


Well, someone had to!




Hat, coat,.................TAXI!

[tistisnot]

Diddly-dee diddly-dee, da dit da dee

Sure, someone else had to, too!


Oi´ll tek the buzz .....

[ka26]

Hi iorgasilviubogdan!

I've sent you a private message.

[email protected]

Thanks!

[t_total]

Hello All

After years of wanting to fly helicopters, I finally got my CPL(H) and am lucky enough (for now) to have a job conducting scenic flights from an R44. Thoroughly enjoying it.

In the past I always figured I wanted to remain VFR, aim to one day fly a B206/Squirrel/MD500/EC120 or 130 etc and see where it takes me from there.

However lately I have been considering the offshore route, know nobody I can speak to personally who does it, so thought I'd ask here. For the guys & girls who do fly offshore:-

1) do you enjoy it or does it get boring after a while. Is it mundane?

2) Apart from the more steady rosters and good pay associated with Offshore flying, do you wish you could go back to VFR stuff, ie SE Turbine stuff etc?

3) just any general comments about life as an offshore pilot really.


After I have more of an insight it will better help me form an opinion of where I want to channel my career as I feel a little lost at the moment. Once I have decided, I can then channel my efforts to getting the relevant experience to go either offshore of fly SE turbines down the line.

My main aim in my career is to enjoy the type of flying I am doing, so I hope i can get a good enough insight here to figure if I think I will enjoy offshore stuff or not, seeing as I cant actually have a go unless I actually get a job doing it.

Thanks in advance

[Heliringer]

If utility pilots got paid the same and worked the same rosters as the offshore guys, they would have real problems filling offshore positions IMHO.

[Horror box]

1 and 2 - yes to all. It does get mundane and boring, but the routine and pay is good.
If you want to fly with your hands and feet on the controls - do something else. Offshore flying is almost all procedural and is in that sense very similar to flying airlines. You are not allowed to do anything approaching challenging yourself and your abilities in terms of handling and rightly so, as it would scare the **** out of your pax. How would you feel if your airbus you were traveling on to Majorca suddenly started doing aerobatics of some kind? There can be times when it is more challenging but this is in decision making generally and not handling. SOP's these days are about keeping the pilot off the controls as much as possible and letting the autopilot do the work.
I have generally noticed, although not always the case, that the people who are most satisfied with the job (myself included) are those who have got all the fun and scary flying out of their systems already through either the military, utility flying, HEMS or other more hands on flying jobs. They don't want to scare themselves anymore, don't want to play with the aircraft and "wonder how this would work out" and the challenge is to come to work and get the job done as safely and in the most boring way possible.
Just be aware it is not flying as perhaps you would like or imagine, it is very much systems management, and that too can be a challenge, but not in the old school way.
Good luck with you chosen path.

[Brilliant Stuff]

I think you will be able to do the job for 5-6 years and then move on.
It also depends where you are flying offshore.

I used to do on average 5 landings per flight hour, I am told Aberdeen does one landing every flight hour on average.

Offshore do use the helicopter like a bus or fixed wing with the only difference of you landing on postage stamps.

It will help you to learn about twin engine aircraft and working as a team as well as the IR ticket.

[Bladestrike]

Personally I quite enjoy offshore flying, here on Canada's East coast we have enough bad weather to keep things interesting. Offshore in VFR weather all the time would get old quick I think, but throw in the odd mins or worse approach (and of course missing), some snow storms and low level jets...not too much, just enough to keep it interesting...

Without the poor weather, I could make due with being home everynight on a regular schedule while still making pretty good coin, not a bad ticket. Having 26 plus years in the industry, I no longer require the excitement bush flying entails, but I'm glad I have it in my back pocket, warm memories indeed. I do see alot of younger guys who get into offshore early on get bored, pining for some slinging on fires or whatnot, and I would recommend getting it well out of your system before moving into offshore.

[Canadian Rotorhead]

Hey there t_total,

Looks like you have come a long way since our lunch in KK (I'm pretty sure you know who I am). I know you have a sweet job back home when the time comes but as my old friend Bladestrike says, enjoy the fun of real flying before the automation takes that from you. After many years of floating around bases with CHC, I've seen all kinds come and go. I think you will do very well at whatever you set your mind to.

I enjoy the updates, keep me posted.

BG

[Aucky]

Good thread, I had been wondering the same, and from discussions with other offshore pilots they have suggested the same advice, have your fun, do the rounds, then settle into the armchair systems management when you got the hooley bits out your system :ok: thats what i'm hoping to do anyway :)

[t_total]

Hey everyone and hello Canadian Rotorhead :) yes I know who you are for sure :ok:

Well Thanks for all the replies. I think it has just pushed me more towards wanting to do what I initially wanted to do, ie concentrate on getting myself flying SE Turbines, fly in the bush, and do all sorts of fun stuff whilst learning all the time. Although the twin time and IR would be good, I think I would personally get bored if I went offshore too soon. Something I think I would definitely want to do later on in my career tho

And As you say Canadian Rotorhead, I can have a sweet job when I return home, flying offshore if I wish. I guess that door will never really close on me as they will always be looking for people to go offshore there if things stay the way they are. Some very kind and encouraging words from you there, which means a lot to me coming from someone with so much experience in this industry.

Thanks everyone for the advice/insight.

Safe flying to all

[HOGE]

I did 12 years of offshore flying before deciding I'd had enough and went to HEMS instead.

The pay was reasonably good, lots of flying. I was mainly in the SNS so got lots of landings and hands on, a steady roster, and a bacon roll/coffee every morning.

Just got bored of the view in the end!

[t_total]

I did 12 years of offshore flying before deciding I'd had enough and went to HEMS instead.


Hello HOGE

Sounds like you had a good 12 years. Would you say going offshore and getting the twin time is a good way of getting into HEMS?

Thanks

[HOGE]

Hello HOGE

Sounds like you had a good 12 years. Would you say going offshore and getting the twin time is a good way of getting into HEMS?



Lots of hours and an Instrument Rating would certainly be an advantage, as would some low level experience.

[Brilliant Stuff]

Also it depends on which company one works for.
When I left my former company wasn't keen of you having your own mind and common sense, they preferred you to ring headoffice when things didn't go to plan. I guess getting paid gazzilions without having to make decisions is an interesting job. Anyway that's how I saw it.

[Epiphany]

Offshore flying isn't all cold, grey ocean and rubber suits. There are some, warm sunny places with blue seas and white shirts. Still mundane out and back but the view is better, the pay tax-free and you have 6 months of the year off.

[grumpytroll]

challenge yourself. try the u.s hems market. variable equipment, short flights, (lots of take off and landing) fast response times and challenging night activity. it gets your heart pumping and your mind working.

[jymil]

I´m a low-time (~300hrs) JAA CPL pilot and I´d like to get into the north sea offhore flying business as co-pilot. I already have ATPL/IR theory and since it looks like there is no way without IR rating, I´m planning to do the IR training as next step. However, this is quite a financial challenge and I´m not so sure wether this is really the door opener.

I´ve already looked at the websites of all the major players in the business, but there are almost no pilot jobs posted. And for one of the few low-time jobs I applied I´ve got some anonymous "no thank you, please dont contact us" response. This all makes me think that applying over the internet is not really the way how to actually get a job.

So what do you guys think ? Is it worth to spend the money on the IR with just 300hrs experience and what would be a more successful way of scoring a job ? Thanks for your feedbacks.

[hostile]

More time - more experience. Most offshore customers has total time limitations. If you are able to get around 1000 hours + at least 100 h night time, you are much better shape. At the same time you might have a chance to get your atpl done, which is your gold card. I know, it's hard to get your ass in companies, but that's the way to go. Don't be picky.:ok:

[Camp Freddie]

1. if you want to get a north sea job then these days getting an IR is a must
2. but more experience is not always good, sometimes they want lower time + IR because your salary will be lower and hence the costbase for the employer will be lower.
3. any logical analysis of the risk/return ratio will automatically mean that you should not proceed, there are a lot of pilots out there with IR's some who are employed onshore and some not, who are not getting in.
4. do it if you want to give yourself a chance, but be preapared for plan B if it doesnt work.
5.its all about timing, there is mostly a famine and sometimes a flood of P2 jobs, 3 floods i can remember about 1998, 2001, 2007 ish, so on that basis, another should be along soon (but maybe not)

[Jet Ranger]

Don´t wait with IR. You must have that. And something will come in future. ASAP.
Somebody said that some good times are coming on the North Sea ... will see!

[Garfs]

I can only echo what previous posters have said about networking.

In my case I made contact with all the offshore operators local(ish) to me and after the initial knock backs I stayed im touch with one person frm each operator (chief pilot, hr manager, line pilot etc)

After about 18 months this (prob coz they were so sick of me pestering them) I was called for an interview and subsequently offered a job with an operator which operates EC225's and S76's with no prior offshore experience of my own.

So for me it was a mix of luck and just making as many contacts as I could.

Cheers
garfs

[Pandalet]

Regarding experience for the offshore operators, I've heard that 'experienced' is several thousand hours, with relevant experience; they lump 1000 hours of non-offshore in with 250 hours of non-offshore. Of course, not being on the inside, I have this second-hand, so I don't know how accurate it is, but I've had it froms several different sources. Certainly, you won't even make it past the initial screening without an IR (ME IR for some companies).

[S76driver]

Been there, done that.

Armed with a fresh JAR CPL(H), started looking for work offshore. I was told, get your IR, don't bother with your IR, your too old etc, etc. I went with a friend to Aberdeen on 2 separate occasions to meet with the Chief pilot's of the three major companies at my own expense, this seemed to go down well, handing your CV over in person is much better then an email or letter (or so I was told) and not that many people do it, or at least didn't when I did it!

We were lucky, there was a shortage and it paid off. I know of 5 that were taken on without IR's and sponsored through the process. It took a year from my interview/evaluation to the sim check and job offer as anyone with an IR was drafted before me. However, as previously stated, having an IR does not guarantee a position and a back up plan is mandatory!

All I can say is good luck with the job hunting and don't give up hope!

[212_Nightdipper]

Hello Guys

Almost done with my navy career and I am READY to jump over and start looking at some Offshore/Sar gig...I've already applied for the biggest companies (CHC,Bristow,ERA,PHI) but i still havent got any answer....seems that if you dont have a FAA ATPL and/or a S76 (or S92) type rating you're out the games.

This is what i got under the belt so far

Ø JAA Airline Transport Pilot License (Helicopter THEORY)
Ø Test for English Aviation -- LEVEL 6
Ø Military Fixed Wing / Rotary Wing Experience (US NAVY Flight
Schools)
Ø JAA CPL+IR (Skill Tested by INAER ITALIA)
Ø Bell 412/212 Type Rated (Type Rated by INAER ITALIA)
Ø 1862.9 Total Time
Ø 889.9 Pilot-in-command Time
Ø 420.4 Night Time (Unaided)
Ø 1485.4 Multiengine and Multicrew Helicopter Time (Bell 212)
Ø 1593.5 Helicopter Turbine Time (Bell 212 and Bell 206)

I'm gonna be available to start anytime after 30th September 2012 and
I've got no problems to accept any kind of bond in exchange of a "workable" type rating, neither to get a Co-Pilot job or relocate.

Here's my full Linkedin profile
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=35662904&trk=tab_pro

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Regards

Dario

[jymil]

Thanks everbody for the helpful replies. I think I go ahead doing the IR training and do a tour to knock on some doors. It probably also involves a little bit of luck to be at the right spot at the right time when an opportunity is opening up. Even if you're the most stellar candidate, you can't score a job if there are no open positions.

[afzrotor]

At Ka-26 I am also looking to get into offshore, but face the same problem with no actual offshore time. Can you assist with companies that take "green" co-pilots for offshore. I have ATPL(H) restricted and IFR and some twin time. But none of the typical offshore type ratings, ie S-76,etc.

Regards AFZRotor